Annual Meeting Reports

It is important to remember that “We are a community anchored in Christ, seeking God, sharing his love and serving others” … this is who the people of St James are.

Annual Meeting January 7, 2024

* Election of 4 new Vestry members: Dan Campbell, Billy Dowdle, Jennifer Lambert and Misty Whitehead for a 4 year term

* Announced for the first time ever that Stewardship pledges lead by campaign chair Matt Myrick for 2024 are over $1,000,000.

* Hired Joe Setzer as new organist, children’s choir director and school music leader. His first Sunday being April 19th

* Had record number attending Lenten Suppers 160-180 learning about other religions and beliefs

* Launched a Capital Campaign lead by co-chairs Dee Gambill and Eddie Webster, April 10th-June 9th. The church is continuing to accept commitments as the campaign is still ongoing.

* School year kicked off strong with 88 students in grades Pre-K2 -1st grades

* October 11th- 13th - 10 of our Acolytes traveled to Washington DC to participate in the Acolyte Festival at the National Cathedral.

* Held a St James Feast Day celebration and picnic at Beckwith Lodge

* Started our annual Stewardship Campaign “ Pathways to Generosity” for 2025 led by Bruce Stone as the chair. Last year 2024 we received 279 pledges and to date 183 pledges have been received for a total of $962,214. Still below our goal and needs, pledges are still continuing to be made.* Held our first Christmas Open House for parish wide fellowship and also welcoming new members.

* Special thanks to our 4 dedicated Vestry members rotating off: Ben Codding, Peter Gaillard, Laura Jones and Matt Myrick. We thank you for your service these past 4 years.

* Most importantly please stop and thank our wonderful priests and staff for all they do. You have no idea the hours they put in behind the scenes that you never know about. They are truly an amazing group we are more than blessed to have. I want to thank you for allowing and trusting me to serve on your Vestry for 2 years and then the last 3 years as Senior Warden. It has been an honor for me and a wonderful way to give back to the church for all the blessings in my life. There have been many changes and beautiful growth on our campus of St James Church and School and I rejoice for that.

May Gods Blessings and Joy shine in and through you all

God's Peace

Jeanie

It has been a pleasure to serve as your Jr. Warden for the past year.

Thank you for all the help, pointers, and “have you seen this”. I could not have done it without all of you. Many thanks to Bill Dowdle and Ed Shell for their help with various projects. It truly takes a community of faith to bring it all together.

With the guidance of Bruce Stone, we are in the process of coming up with a maintenance plan. This will help us address issues in a proactive manner. Pickle Paint has been hired to maintain our doors. We are beginning to address our windows, replacing the sacristy window and the 2 double – hung windows on either side of the altar. The plan is to gradually continue to replace the 9 remaining windows in the church. Bruce has also worked to improve the landscaping in front of the office area. Thank you, Bruce.

Other issued addressed this year have been:

- Additional lighting was added to the choir loft and lights were

replaced around the altar. Thanks to John Luce for his help.

- Spring/summer cleaning occurred in Green Hall with the windows

washed, carpet, and floors cleaned.

- Paint was touched up around the campus by the school.

- AC work and maintenance

If you haven’t seen the Memorial Garden, please take time to see this beautiful, peaceful, and sacred place. Also, please thank the Memorial Garden board, Linda Jamieson, and Ed Shell for their work.

We are a community anchored in Christ, seeking God, sharing His love, and serving others. Thank you for all that you do. Blessings.

Respectfully submitted,

Margaret Cadden

Adult Formation Report

Fr. Forbes Sirmon and Natalie Smith taught confirmation classes. Thirteen youth were confirmed when Bishop Russell Kendrick visited in the spring. Each confirmand had a mentor which they met with on three separate occasions during the confirmation process.

The youth of St. James served as readers, ushers, greeters and acolytes for youth Sunday in April of this year. The graduating Seniors were also recognized and given a framed watercolor picture of St. James to serve as a reminder of their home.

The Senior acolytes were recognized and given silver cross necklaces in gratitude for their service to the church. 

In July, nine youth went to Chattanooga for a week for the Senior High EYC Mission Trip. They worked with Crabtree Farms and the Chattanooga Area Food bank.  

Eight Senior High youth went to Fort Morgan over Labor Day weekend. They were able to foster new and old relationships with one another while also using that time to reconnect with God’s beautiful creation. 

Ten senior high acolytes took a trip to Washington, D.C. in October where they participated in the National Acolyte Festival at the National Cathedral. 

The Junior and Senior High EYC put on a dog wash fundraiser to raise money for their trip to Washington, D.C.

Senior and Junior High Sunday School was taught by Fr. Forbes Sirmon. They met weekly during the school year. They will continue to meet in 2025. 

The Senior and Junior High EYC had weekly meetings on Sunday night with an average attendance of ten to fifteen youth. The two groups met separately but shared dinner together. These weekly meetings will continue in 2025.

The Senior and Junior High EYC volunteered biweekly at Prodisee Pantry, helping sort canned and dry goods for their weekly distribution. They will continue to volunteer in 2025.

Fifth through twelfth graders met biweekly with Karen Myrick to create handmade postcards for the parish. They will continue to meet in 2025. 

Children’s Formation

The children started the year with the annual Epiphany Feast of Lights service. Following the service we had dinner in Green Hall. 

The EYC helped put on the annual Easter Egg Hunt for the children of St. James. Around thirty to forty families participated in the hunt the Saturday morning before Easter. 

The Kindergarteners where given their very own Bible and recognized for completing the school year. 

The St. James Episcopal School’s summer camp program joined Vacation Bible School for the second year. They had a faith filled week with one-hundred and fifty children and forty-five volunteers/summer camp employees.

The annual Backpack Blessing took place in the fall during the beginning of the school year. Nearly one hundred tags were passed out during church.

In the fall, Kindergarteners-Fourth graders had First Communion classes. Eight children took the class taught by Fr. De Freeman and Natalie Smith. They were celebrated following their final class with their First Communion.

The Fall Festival had around seventy families in attendance. The EYC ran the booths at the festival and Whacked Out Weiner brought their food truck. There were around fifteen trunks decorated by parishioners and school employees. 

The annual St. Nicholas Event took place several weeks before Christmas. Philip Webb served as a very jolly St. Nicholas for around fifteen children. The children made mitre hats and the Director of St. James Episcopal School, Shelley Miller, told the story of St. Nicholas.

Around fifteen children decorated cookies for St. Nicholas following our Christmas Pageant practice the Sunday before Christmas.  

This year we changed course from our annual Epiphany Feast of Lights pageant and had a Christmas Eve pageant. It was a huge success with over thirty children participating in the pageant during the 3pm Christmas Eve service. The pageant was directed by Natalie Smith with the help of Patti Miller and Mary Katherine Kilgore. Children and parents attended three practices leading up to the pageant. 

Children’s Chapel took place all of 2024 with around ten to twenty-five children in attendance each week. It is taught by a group of volunteers who rotate each week: Tabb Fonde, Alex Miller, Elizabeth Orr, Jane Tucker, Holly Mckinney, Kim Richeson, and Haden Sirmon. Children’s Chapel will continue to be taught by these wonderful volunteers in 2025.

Sunday School met weekly during the school year and was taught by Susan Doumar, Patti Miller, Meg Willett, and Savannah Jackson who rotated weekly in teaching the kindergarten-6th grade class. They will continue to teach this class in 2025.

You Group was led by Mother Amanda Dosher and Natalie Smith one Sunday a month with an average of four families in attendance. They have had meetings at Camp Beckwith and St. James. You Group will continue to meet one Sunday a month during the school year for families of 5th and 6th graders.  

The St. James nursery was staffed this year by Chloe Ayres, Wyatt Ayres, Emmie Freeman, Virginia Guilian, and Davis Randle. The nursery is available every Sunday morning, for parish wide events, and small group meetings. 

Submitted by the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry, Natalie Smith.

Music at St. James

Annual Report for 2024

January 12, 2025

The Music Ministry at St. James remains strong. The St. James Choir sings each Sunday for the

10:30am service with a few members who sing regularly for the 8:30am service. The choir

rehearses each Wednesday evening to prepare for Sunday worship and prepare music for special

services. In December of 2024, the choir presented the annual Advent Lessons and Carols and

sang for the 6pm Christmas Eve service. The choir will begin working on a large work to be

offered the afternoon of Palm Sunday 2025.

April of 2024 brought our new organist and Associate Director of Music, Joe Setzer.

Joe started the St. James Boys and Girls Choir in September, and they have sung several times

in worship including at the 3pm Christmas Eve service. They continue to grow and sing for

worship.

On the third Sunday of the month at 7:00pm either Men’s Compline or Taizé is offered. Men’s

Compline is now being conducted by Joe Setzer. Taizé, led by Mary Katherine, is held in the

chapel. Both services last around 30 minutes in length. Come as you are.

The St. James Concert Series had a successful year. In February we hosted a piano quintet to

perform Schubert’s Trout Quintet and other selections in Green Hall. In October, our annual

organ concert, featuring Monica Berney was held and in November we hosted Seraph Brass, an

all-female professional brass ensemble, in concert in our sanctuary. We were fortunate to

partner with the Gulf Coast Harp Society and offer a concert by an up-and-coming young

harpist, Kaitlin Miller from California. It was a busy fall for the concert series!

Frank Stabler continues to assist with the music ministry here at St. James. He oversees

reporting all copyright information for our live stream and print bulletins, sets up and takes

down rehearsal spaces, coordinates the choir for procession each Sunday, maintains the music

library and more!

Mary Katherine continues to teach music for the St. James School, oversees all aspects of the

music ministry, plans music for worship, coordinates the concert series, plans and leads Taizé

services, directs the adult choir and much more.

We are currently working on repairing the blower for the sanctuary organ. This past year, we

received a lovely donation from Alice and Philip Webb to purchase a new piano for the choir

room. The new piano, which is an upright, opens the space for teaching music classes, provides a

beautiful sound and is easy to play. Makes all levels of pianists sound great and has a warm tone

for choirs to sing against.

I would like to thank the choir members for their dedication to the music ministry and giving of

themselves each week. They are all a blessing to work with.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary Katherine Kilgore

Director of Music

St. James Episcopal School is a member in good standing with the National Association of

Episcopal Schools.

By design, an Episcopal school education’s value is in its empowering program that provides a

community of care, spiritual teachings, developmentally appropriate practices and academics

combined with enrichment opportunities. Our SJES staff is committed to being faithful stewards of

our church/school resources that provide an exemplary education every day for each child in our

care.

School Year 2024 - 2025

August - January

● School Board : Misty Campbell - President, Ben Codding - Vestry Liaison, Cheri Collins,

Jane Edge, Bill Goedert, Annjo Lemons, Sara Majors, Molly O’Keefe, Jenny Ross and

Cappi Sully

● Staff - 7 Teachers (PK2 - First Grade), 7 Teacher Assistants, 6 Enrichment Teachers

After school Staff includes 3 staff members + 6 Co-op students on rotating schedule

● 1 Office Manager, 1 Director of Admissions, 1 Chaplain

● Current enrollment - 88 students

● Marketing and Branding - This year St. James School hired Idea Path, LLC out of

Shreveport, LA to develop a brand guide. The brand guide is an ongoing process to

refresh and update our identity, including a new mascot. Elements and messaging were

designed to better align with current market demands along with future growth plans.

● We were proud to unveil our new mascot, the St. James “KNIGHTS”.

● The Summer Camp program continues to be successful and runs for 7 weeks. Classes

offered are PK3, PK4, Kindergarten, First and Second grades.

● Catered lunch offerings are 3 days. We partner with local businesses for school lunches.

● Enrichment opportunities include: Weekly Chapel, Godly Play, Art, Music, Spanish,

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), YOGA and daily PE for

Kindergarten and First Grade. Religion class for First Grade.

● Our PK2 through 1st grade students benefit from a variety of onsite field trips with

special guest visitors from our local community. Kindergarten and 1st grade also have

the opportunity to participate in offsite field trips. The 1st grade attends biweekly visits to

the Fairhope Library.

● Parish volunteers drive for our field trips and our “Seasoned Saints” help out with special

events on campus.

● Extracurricular activities include ballet, jazz, tap and tumbling classes, Art Explorations,

and Let’s Kick Soccer.● Athletics - SJES participated in the Union 10 FC Club Soccer and Fairhope Youth

Baseball.

● Parents are responsible for organizing school fundraisers which financially benefit our

school and they also help with school events on and off campus. Events included

Zebedee-do-dah, Fairhope Christmas Parade float, Art Walk, Scholastic Book Fair,

Uniform Resale Closet, Honey Baked Ham, Greer’s Apples for the Students Program

● An additional fundraiser was sponsored this year by the School Board. Watercolor

ornament by local artists Marci Malec.

● Annual Zebedee-do-dah Fundraiser - Monies raised (see financial report). Fundraiser

Chair Meg Gavin. New location this year - Fairhope Yacht Club.

● Non-Public Schools Program funds Title II and Title IV allocated to St. James Episcopal

School for professional development and academic enrichment.

● Professional Development opportunities - On Campus Security Training, Handwriting

Without Tears Webinar Workshops, CPR, First Aid, and Classroom Management.

● St. James School partners with St. James Church Outreach Committee, Childhood

Cancer Awareness, Prodisee Pantry Food Drive, William H. Green Veterans Home,

Cards to Nursing Homes and Shut-ins,Toys for Tots sponsored by USMC Reserve,

Baldwin Family Village and Blood Drive.

● Notable Events on Campus: Scholastic Book Fair, Grandparent’s Day, Episcopal

Schools Week, Fall Festival (Church/School), Veterans Day Program, All Saints,

Thanksgiving Program, Lighting of School Tree and Christmas Caroling, Christmas

Program, Mardi Gras Box Parade, Ash Wednesday Chapel, Dads Day Lunch, Easter/

Spring Program/Egg Hunt, Art Walk, Mother’s Day Tea, Field Day, End of Year Program

and Kindergarten Graduation

St. James Episcopal School is currently in its 7th year of operation. Thank you to all who

have been a part of this educational journey and contributed in your own ways to St. James

Episcopal School. I am grateful for the support of so many. I want to express my gratitude

and hope that you will continue to support our efforts as a school community, a source of

evangelism and outreach.

Respectively submitted,

Shelley Miller, Director